In order to implement promises made to people in the Congress manifesto, chief minister (CM) Captain Amarinder Singh, on Thursday announced a grant of Rs 363.43 crore for the development of Jalandhar city.

The chief minister, during his first visit to the city after assuming office, said that a project worth Rs 1,000 crore supported by Asian Development Bank for ‘canal water’ for drinking purpose will start soon, solving the problem of drinking water.

To bring the back the city’s sports and leather industry on track, he said that the government is planning to create special economic zones for them.

The chief minister said that he had sanctioned Rs 50 crore for expediting the smart city project, along with new development works and Rs 42.43 crore for installation of streetlights. He said that the financial crisis faced by the government will not be made a reason to obstruct the region’s development.

Captain Amarinder also promised that funds for the rural development will also be made available in the future, which, he said, were ruined by the anti-people policies of the previous SAD-BJP government.

He said that his government has also undertaken reservation of 50 % seats for women in Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), as well as free houses for the homeless and subsidised houses for economically weaker sections of the society.

Punjab local bodies minister, Navjot Singh Sidhu said that the online transcripts of layout plans of residential properties will also be made available on the internet.

Targeting the Akali leaders, Bikram Singh Majithia and Sukhbir Singh Badal as ‘jija-saala Jodi’ over their false statements, he said that they were trying to mislead the people by claiming there were differences between him (Sidhu) and the chief minister.